I like the possibility of the 318 as a daily driver to be converted to a track car/license keeper/ and eventually maybe full blown ITA competitor. I could put a cage and safety equipment in one and still be able to fit in it comfortably to drive to work. It would be a reasonable replacement for my 93 Accord which I love, but has no real competiton potential.

If I was building an A-kicking A car, it might not be what I'd choose. It does seem to have potential. I agree that looking at base, stock numbers, the engine seems to be where the question mark is. It would be interesting to know how much power the BMW experts think could be extracted from that power plant.